Northeast - Two questions - Bike groups and locks!

Just moved to philly and am really loving biking around the city.

Two questions

1. Anyone know of any good biking clubs? I am a novice, but enjoy riding in a group.

2. I moved from the country which is a lot safer than here. I bought a Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 STD today and am thinking of returning it for one of their better locks. Is this lock enough to keep my bike from getting stolen..i do love my bike. I never leave it outside over night, but I am worried about when I go out to eat at night, or leave it outside for a big part of the day. Is it enough?

I'm a member of the BCP, (http://phillybikeclub.org/newbcp/) the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia. I also belong to several suburban clubs, and the Coalition (http://www.bicyclecoalition.org/).

As for locks...none will keep your bike totally safe. At best they can be a deterrent, but none will stop a dedicated thief. A lot depends on where you leave the bike, but I have heard of broad daylight thefts of locked bikes in front of Liberty Place and in front of the Convention Center. If I were going to commute, I would buy a cheap "Craigs List" bike that wouldn't break my heart if it got stolen.

As for locks...none will keep your bike totally safe. At best they can be a deterrent, but none will stop a dedicated thief. A lot depends on where you leave the bike, but I have heard of broad daylight thefts of locked bikes in front of Liberty Place and in front of the Convention Center. If I were going to commute, I would buy a cheap "Craigs List" bike that wouldn't break my heart if it got stolen.

Even the best lock on the market can only deter an opportunistic thief and slow down a determined one... But buy the best lock(s) you can get your hands on and never leave your bike out of your sight longer than it would take to break the lock(s).

Also, for added security, buy multiple locks of the same or different type. This is done in the hopes of seriously encouraging the thief to look for an easier target or at least seriously slowing him down, giving you enough time to get back to your bike.

The day after Christmas some asshat Grinch stole my bike in BROAD daylight, in a heavily trafficked shopping area in NYC, properly locked to an official bike rack with a bunch of other bikes locked on the same rack. My bike was locked with a Kryptonite u-lock. It was locked under security cameras, security guards walking the premises and cops on patrol! Someone wanted my bike and wanted it BADLY enough to risk stealing it under those conditions and they succeeded. I chalked it up as a lesson learned.

Moral of the story: Not even Kryptonite can save your bike if someone wants it bad enough. So either take your bike with you everywhere you go or lock it but don't leave it out of your sight for more than a few minutes.

That is sad because what is the point of riding your bike to a destination if you can't go inside and enjoy your time.

Even the best lock on the market can only deter an opportunistic thief and slow down a determined one... But buy the best lock(s) you can get your hands on and never leave your bike out of your sight longer than it would take to break the lock(s).

Also, for added security, buy multiple locks of the same or different type. This is done in the hopes of seriously encouraging the thief to look for an easier target or at least seriously slowing him down, giving you enough time to get back to your bike.

The day after Christmas some asshat Grinch stole my bike in BROAD daylight, in a heavily trafficked shopping area in NYC, properly locked to an official bike rack with a bunch of other bikes locked on the same rack. My bike was locked with a Kryptonite u-lock. It was locked under security cameras, security guards walking the premises and cops on patrol! Someone wanted my bike and wanted it BADLY enough to risk stealing it under those conditions and they succeeded. I chalked it up as a lesson learned.

Moral of the story: Not even Kryptonite can save your bike if someone wants it bad enough. So either take your bike with you everywhere you go or lock it but don't leave it out of your sight for more than a few minutes.

That sucks. Exactly which Kryptonite lock was it?

Kitn described a frustration many of us have shared. Kitn used "an official bike rack". The majority of "official" bike racks I see make it IMPOSSIBLE to properly lock the bike. Most are designed so that the front wheel is locked to a flimsy aluminum crossbar...a gift for crooks.
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The proper way to lock a bike is with a TOUGH Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit U-lock around the REAR wheel and a beefy, thick steel post that is set in concrete. The racks designed for ONE bike that are an "upside down U" are good, as are traditional parking meters. Then, a mini U-lock connects the front wheel to the frame.

But, in a big city or on a college campus, professional bike thieves are always on the "look out" for expensive bikes. If you park a bike worth $1,000 or $2,000 in a public place for hours at time, day after day, sooner or later it will be stolen. When I must park a bike downtown for two or three hours or even fifteen minutes after dark, I ride a 30 year old rusty bike that looks like junk (it rides GREAT) and lock it up with TWO heavy u-locks plus a heavy cable.